Whole Foods Gilman in Berkeley: Favorite Things

There is a new Whole Foods Market opening on Gilman in Berkeley! I had the pleasure of attending a media event last week. I learned so much and was so inspired that I had to share a recap. 

There are few things I enjoy more than listening to people talk about their passion for good food. Last week, I had the pleasure of attending my first media event for an opening of a new Whole Foods Market in Northern California.

I was pretty excited to get the invitation. You see, we have a bit of a healthy addiction to The North Face Outlet on Gilman. This usually leads to a Saturday of visiting someone of the great craft brew spots in the area, like the Sierra Nevada Torpedo Room. So our conversations as we drive down Gilman in Berkeley have progressed kind of like this –

Is that going to be a Whole Foods?  That looks like it’s going to be a Whole Foods. That’s definitely going to be the new Whole Foods. When is that Whole Foods going to open? 

I usually pay a visit to the Oakland location, but given our affinity for discount priced fleeces, this new location is going to be super convenient when I need to stock up. 

In September I started a series called Four Favorites where I shared some of my favorite finds throughout the month. Well, October flew by before I knew it and I missed my monthly installment. So, while it’s a few days late (and there are many more than four), this tour and all the wonderful foods and drinks I was introduced to were most definitely my Favorite Things for October. 

To be honest, I had no idea that a supermarket tour could leave me so inspired! I am impressed with the high quality of goods, support for farmers and support for small food businesses that Whole Foods provides in our community. These are a few highlights of the evening and the many reasons why I will continue to shop there.  

This little section right there. It’s there to house the hyper-local hydroponic greens. That is, greens that are grown in the warehouse right behind the market!

And lets all take a moment to appreciate the beer fridge. At this location it covers a good portion of the back wall of the store. There will be 300 beers available as well as more than 550 wines. 

Just look at this beautiful cheese station. Here you can get custom cut wedges appropriately wrapped in paper to take home and enjoy. This location has not one, but two, ACS Certified Cheese Professionals on staff to help you out. 

The main focus of my attention was in the meat section. Whole Foods has been my go-to spot for high-quality meats that hold a high-standard for humane practices since we moved to California. I’m finding it’s harder to buy farm direct here like we did in Kentucky and I’m happy that this store does the work of connecting me to California producers. We got to listen to Dan talk about his visits to the ranches they source from and the animal welfare standards in place that the farms must adhere to in order to sell their meat at Whole Foods. 

It was also fun browsing through a store that isn’t quite done yet. We got to witness the big plans ahead in the form of post-it notes. Paleo foodies, this will soon be your cold bar and there will be a Paleo hot bar, too. 

On our way past the check-outs I had to pause to take a shot of these. Aren’t they the cutest? Gift cards in the form of gingerbread men and little shopping bags!

A couple things I wanted to mention that I didn’t get photos of. This store will have the first “Forager Finds”, a space dedicated to new non-perishable local products. Local Forager, Harv Singh, has helped at least five East Bay food makers make their national debut at this location. The bakery also includes a from-scratch program and they will be offering 10 varieties of fresh artisanal bread made in-house. Cue that amazing aroma! The juice bar will be another highlight for this location with fresh, healthy juices available whenever you need it. 

Our last stop on the tour was Allegro Coffee Roasters. This Colorado-based coffee shop is located inside the Whole Foods on Gilman. They specializes in micro lot coffee bringing back as little as five bags from farms around the world to roast in house and serve to us coffee lovers. Jeremy here and the rest of the staff are brimming with knowledge, so stop and discuss all your burning coffee questions with them over a cup. You can also hang out for a while. There is free wifi throughout the store.  

After the informative tour, we were able to get to know other media members, Whole Foods staff and local producers at a community dinner. The room practically made me want to cheer – hooray for fall! – when we walked in. It was beautiful.

Good shots of the meal proved difficult with the lighting, but I must share my two favorites. I’m usually not impressed by fish, but I was completely blown away by this Miso Black Cod with sautéed bok choy, shiitake mushrooms and micro pea shoots from Local Greens™. It was so perfectly cooked and tender, which is a near impossible task when cooking for a large group. It had a mild sweetness from the seared and caramelized edge of the filet. Excellent. 

And how can anyone not love a good pot pie in the fall? This one was made with Diestel Ranch Turkey and seasonal veggies. A buttery crust and a rich, creamy filling. So delicious!

If you are in the area and I’ve peeked your interest in this Whole Foods and all it’s innovative features, you are in luck. The grand opening is today, November 4th. Swing by and take a look for yourself. 

Store Information

Whole Foods Market Gilman
1025 Gilman Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
Tel. 510-809-8293
Hours: Allegro Coffee Roasters 6 a.m.-10 p.m., Store 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. daily
Store Team Leader: Jen Monaco
Marketing & Community Relations Liaison: Kristen Tantarelli
Website: www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/gilman               
Facebook: www.facebook.com/wfmgilman
Instagram: @wholefoodsmarketberkeley
Twitter: @wholefoodsnorca

Disclosure: I attended this tour and community dinner as a member of the media. I was not required to post about it and received no compensation for doing so.